“What?” Noah asked, surprised at the sudden words.

Maera was the same, a wrinkled frown caused her eyes to haze over as she checked her system.

Noah did the same, but there was nothing else that hinted as to the reason why. Something was happening, and Noah didn’t know the reason.

Unease crept up within everyone's hearts. Most had just suffered a brutal fight against goblins and a terrifying Orc. Now, something beyond their understanding was taking place.

Without their houses, without their walls, how were they meant to live? Were they destined to keep one eye open at all times? The survivors had gotten used to their little refuge. The safety of the hub walls, and the ever growing properties that were like a little piece of home within the bloodthirsty jungle.

Now it was being taken away from them.

People were panicking.

“What should we do?” Lorena looked to Noah, but he remained silent for a while.

Finally, he spoke. “Well, we need to find another place to hold up. Somewhere where we can naturally defend.”

“How about the castle?” Declan added.

Noah nodded. That would work. It had high walls, and they could just create doors of their own. More than that, it had a lot of flat land and that meant there weren't many things that could creep up on them.

Sure, they would have to worry about things that could fly, or climb the wall, but it was better than being bombarded from all sides in the middle of a jungle.

“Alright everyone!” Declan shouted, gathering the others. “With the houses going away, we’ll need to find a safe bastion for everyone. The jungle is too dangerous, but it doesn’t mean we have nowhere to go.”

Declan pointed toward the castle, through the innumerable amount of trees. “There is a castle around a four to five hour walk through the jungle. As you know, we have already travelled there. There are a few high level monsters, but we managed to kill most of them on our way there, and back.

The others nodded. Looking at each-other, sighing in relief.

Everyone was quick to act. Running to their houses if they had one, or gathering their supplies that they had kept in someone's house. Whether it was the bags they had purchased with all the survival consumables that they had, or gathering food/water supplies.

Noah was the same. He had a few things tucked away in his house, and after moving the rubble, Noah found a few utility items that he had left.

As he was picking up a few items, tucking them into his bag, a harrowing scream erupted throughout the small town that had formed.

Noah immediately called back Krall, and Gluttony as he shot out of his house. He bolted over to Declan, but as they looked at eachother, it was clear that they were both confused.

“What’s going on?” Noah asked anyone that could hear him.

“I don’t know.” A survivor answered, a man that Noah hadn’t met before. “I was grabbing my bag when I heard the scream. It was coming from over there.”

The man pointed toward the thick trees, but just like always, it was like an impenetrable wall of darkness. Nothing could be gleaned from in between the thick trunks of the iron-like trees.

But as Noah strained his eyes, something flitted between one of the trees. Like a phantom image, it was there one moment, then gone the next. If not for Noah’s dark-vision, it would have been impossible to make out.

Then, a thick dark green mist billowed out of the trees. It was unlike anything Noah had ever seen before.

It wasn’t like any ordinary mist that he had seen before. More like a slow moving wall, it crept toward them. Seconds passed, and it began filtering through all around them. Front, and sides, it was coming toward them from all angles.

Noah glanced over his shoulder, to the mountain where his house was situated in front of. Atop the mountain, the same mist appeared, then fell down the cliff edge like a waterfall slowed by time.

He didn’t know what was going on, but it could’t mean anything good.

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Not only that, he was receiving feedback from Gluttony, and Krall. They were fighting, and judging by their bestial reaction, it wasn’t an easy opponent.

However, Noah couldn’t offer them any help. He had to focus on his survival first and foremost. Besides, he doubted he could even see within the mist. If entered, would he be able to find his way to his companions? Most likely thanks to [Symbiotic Radar] but it wasn’t a gamble he was willing to take.

Get to me, guys. Noah told them, then focused on what was going to appear out of the mist.

“Everyone, get ready!” Declan shouted.

Listening with panicked expressions, everyone grabbed their weapons, and dropped their bags in preparation for a fight. Most had barely recovered from their fight with the goblins, now they were already being thrust into battle once more.

But Noah was different. There was no anxiety like the others, and it was all because of what he had done, and experienced over the past days. He had thrown himself into constant battles and torture, all to improve himself.

Despite all his fighting, he still had the energy to continue. It was the result of his hard work, and it was why the others lacked his tenacity.

They all retreated behind the wall of Noah’s courtyard. The front had fallen, and although the sides had also received a bashing, they still stood strong.

Standing at the front of everyone, Noah stood stalwart as the mist approached. Just one metre away, Noah wondered if it was filled with poison because of the green coloration. If that was the case, then he would just die; there was no other way out.

This can’t be it. Noah thought with a frown, then, the mist engulfed him, and soon it was the same for all the other survivors.

Getting into a defensive stance, Noah waited with his lance held forward. Whatever charged them from the mist would be met with the pointed tip of his weapon.

He didn’t have to wait long.

A splitting roar echoed throughout the fog, and then the vague image of a humanoid sprinted at them. Before its form was fully visible, all Noah could see was a set of vivid green eyes.

And then it appeared. With wriggling green veins, and a savage expression as if it wanted to tear into his flesh, it was one of the survivors. Most likely the one who had screamed, but then others chased it.

One, two, four appeared behind it making the total number five.

Noah took a breath, then before the first could arrive, he used all of his offensive skills, then activated his Thrust Shard.

Throwing a spectral lance forward, it tore through the first monster, then bore into the one behind it. Slamming into its chest, it barreled on the floor, tumbling.

You defeated a - Level 54 Hallowed Corruption

“Prepare yourselves!” Declan shouted, rousing the spirits of those around him.

The other humanoids clashed into the survivors while Noah was in the middle of battling with his own.

Noah aimed for the stronger amongst them, while hoping that the others could deal with the weaker ones. In truth, he had no way of knowing which was the strongest. All Noah could judge was the muscles they had, and the intensity of the glow within their eyes.

He pierced his lance in quick succession, and although the monsters were tougher than most he had dealt with during his time in the jungle, it soon fell to a piercing thrust to its skull.

Lorena, her knight, and Samira worked together to defeat one. Maera and her protectors faced the other, while Declan and the survivors dealt with the last one.

Having defeated his target, Noah then turned his attention to the other humanoid the survivors were struggling with.

It appeared Declan didn’t have much in the way of pure attacking skills. Flashing forward with [Shadow Step], Noah bore his lance into the monster's skull, giving it a quick, and painless death.

Defeating the monsters, Noah quickly turned his attention to beyond the wall. He waited for any others that may arrive, but it was clear as far as he could tell.

He inched forward, beyond the threshold of the wall. He looked left, then right. His head snapped forward. A blur moved toward him at a blinding pace. Almost too fast to react, but Noah managed to activate [Beastly Aegis] just in time.

The hurtling body slammed into his shield, but since he didn’t have either of his tamed monsters around him, the hit struck him with full force.

Noah’s body flew back, smashing through one of the walls that remained within his house, then coming to a rolling stop. He grit his teeth, recovered his body, then bolted back to where the monster was.

If it caused so much damage to him, then it was obvious what it could do to the others.

By the time he arrived with multiple [Shadow Steps], the monster had already killed one of the weaker survivors.

It was larger than all the rest, but more than that, it was wearing golden armour. A helmet with wings, a cuirass, and what appeared to be a battle skirt was just some of the armour that adorned its mighty body.

Noah slammed his lance into its body, boring a deep hole within, but it was clear it wasn’t enough, nor was it in a lethal area.

It replied with a roar, then smacked its hand into Noah’s lance. Noah had to fight with everything in his power not to let his weapon be torn out of his grasp.

Groaning, he snapped a kick to the monster's chest, and with a dull thud, it took a single step back.

One step.

The sight caused Noah’s heart to drop. The children were screaming in the background. He couldn’t retreat. If he did so, the monster would tear everything in its path.

Noah couldn’t let that happen.

Just as he was steeling himself for a tough fight, a dual bestial roar almost split the fog.

Krall and Glutton had arrived.